A CARING teen is to fly out to Guatemala to help disadvantaged children.

Georgia Peake, 16, of Melbourne Avenue, Oswaldtwistle, is hoping to volunteer in a number of children’s creches in the Central American country.

The Blackburn College, Health and Social Care Nurse Cadet will be working with large numbers of malnourished children and their families who need help in their everyday lives.

She said: "I have decided to go out to Guatemala because I want to help people.

"I am training as a nurse and my course encourages you to do as much volunteering and I have always been interested in volunteering abroad.

"I am 16, and have the world at my feet and I simply want to help others.

"Initially I was going to head out to Kenya, but with all its current political problems my mum wasn’t too keen on the idea.

"When I get there, I will be working in a number of creches that provide care for different types of children for different reasons.

"For example there will be a group of children whose mothers are alcohol dependant and other who simply have no- one else to care for the children while they go to work in the market."

Georgia will be guided on her trip by Travellers World Wide but she is looking for sponsorship to help her pay the costs of her flights. She said: "I am hoping to go at the end of August, beginning of September but that will depend on how much money I can raise.

"I am currently working at Franco’s Restaurant in Oswaldtwistle and saving all my wages for the trip but this will not be enough as I need to raise almost £2,000."